Sailors, Guardsmen Selected for 2011 Warrior Games Team

From Chief of Naval Personnel Public Affairs

PORT HUENEME, Calif. (NNS) -- Wounded warrior athletes selected to participate on the U.S. Navy/Coast Guard team at the 2011 Warrior Games aboard Port Hueneme, Calif., were announced Feb. 21.

The team members were officially announced at the conclusion of an adaptive sport training camp aboard Naval Base Ventura County Port Hueneme, Calif.

"In addition to their incredible athletic skills, our wounded warriors personify resilience and dedication," said Capt. Bernie Carter, Navy Safe Harbor director and Coast Guard's wounded warrior support program. "I am extremely proud of each one of them. The team cheer – 'One Team, One Fight' – reflects their commitment to one another, as well as their shared determination to making a significant mark at the competition."

Approximately 200 wounded, ill, and injured athletes from all branches of service will compete in the second annual Warrior Games, which will take place at the Olympic Training Center and U.S Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., May 16-21. The games are a joint endeavor of the U.S. Olympic Committee and the U.S. Department of Defense.

"Events like the Warrior Games motivate me and encourage me to stay in shape," said Aviation Ordnanceman 2nd Class Selemani Johnson, a new addition to the team. "They remind me that my only limitations are those I set for myself, and that there's still so much I can do."

Johnson was struck by a vehicle while riding his motorcycle in April 2010. He sustained a spinal cord injury that damaged his T7 and T8 vertebrae.

"It's great to be a part of this family again," said Master-at-Arms 3rd Class Nathan Dewalt, a returning team member. "I hope to serve as a mentor to some of our new teammates, and to show them how much they can accomplish both on and off the field."

In 2008, Dewalt was also involved in a traffic accident while riding his motorcycle. Throughout the training camp, he provided guidance to new wounded warrior athletes like Johnson, who will compete beside him in track and field events.

The Warrior Games bring together active-duty service members and military veterans from across the country, fostering camaraderie and a healthy competitive spirit. The games help them discover new capabilities they can apply to everyday challenges and opportunities, and encourages them to reach and achieve a productive future.

The wounded warrior athletes include service members with upper-body injuries, lower-body injuries, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, visual impairment, and post-traumatic stress disorder. They will compete in the following sports: archery, wheelchair basketball, cycling, shooting, swimming, track and field, and sitting volleyball.

The 32 Sailors and three Coast Guardsmen selected for the 2011 Navy/Coast Guard team are:

- Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Angelo Anderson, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Va.

- Michael Bell, former U.S. Coast Guard electrician's mate 3rd Class, Union, Mo.

- Culinary Specialist Seaman Judith M. Boyce, National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md.

- Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Tyler Burdick, Naval Medical Center San Diego, Calif.

- Jim D. Castaneda, former Navy boatswain's mate 1st Class, San Antonio, Texas

- Lt. Dan Cnossen, National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md.

- Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Holly Crabtree, Naval Hospital Jacksonville, Fla.

- Special Operations Chief Jon Cummings, National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md.

- Machinist Mate 1st Class Michael Dayton, Intermediate Maintenance Support Facility, Pacific Northwest, Bangor, Wash.

- Master-at-Arms 3rd Class Nathan Dewalt, National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md.

- John C. Edmonston, former Navy Lt., Bremerton, Wash.

- Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Jacob Emmott, National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md.

- Joseph A. Frank, former Navy operations specialist 2nd Class, San Diego, Calif.

- Rodolfo Garcia, former aviation boatswain's mate 1st Class, San Antonio, Texas

- Aviation Machinist's Mate 2nd Class Oswald Gould, Naval Air Station Oceana, Va.

- Chief Special Warfare Boat Operator Daniel S. Hathorn, Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Va.

- Construction Mechanic 3rd Class Aaron Heldreth, Underwater Construction Team 2, Naval Base Ventura County Port Hueneme, Calif.

- Peter A. Johns, former chief electrician's mate, Kingsville, Texas.

- Aviation Structural Mechanic 1st Class Andrew K. Johnson, Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

- Aviation Ordnanceman 2nd Class Selemani Johnson, Naval Medical Center, San Diego, Calif.

- Sancho V. Johnson, former U.S. Coast Guard lieutenant, Jackson, Miss.

- Michael Johnston, former Navy parachute rigger 3rd Class, San Diego, Calif.

- Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Sonny Lemerande, Robert E. Bush Naval Hospital, Twentynine Palms, Calif.

- Logistics Specialist 1st Class Robert "Steve" Lipscomb, Commander, Navy Expeditionary Logistics Support Group, Williamsburg, Va.

- Douglas McCarron, former builder 1st Class, Whittier, Calif.

- Lt. Melanie Monts de Oca, Navy Safe Harbor, Tampa, Fla.

- Hull Maintenance Technician 2nd Class Brandon Norris, Naval Medical Center San Diego, Calif.

- Steve Peace, former Navy Lt. Cmdr., San Diego, Calif.

- Dan Peters, former Navy builder constructionman, Chicago, Ill.

- Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Max R. Rohn, National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md.

- Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Justin E. Rose, Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune, N.C.

- Chief Equipment Operator Ana Sarver, Maritime Civil Affairs Security Team, Little Creek, Va.

- Andre Shelby, former Navy boatswain's mate 1st Class, Jacksonville, Fla.

- Christopher J. Shunk, former U.S. Coast Guard operations specialist chief petty officer, Colorado Springs, Colo.

- Gerald W. Williams, former chief operations specialist, McKinney, Texas

The team is sponsored by Navy Safe Harbor, the Navy's lead organization for coordinating the non-medical care of wounded, ill, and injured Sailors, Coast Guardsmen, and their families. Through proactive leadership, Safe Harbor provides a lifetime of individually tailored assistance, designed to optimize the success of enrollees' recovery, rehabilitation, and reintegration activities.

For more news from Chief of Naval Personnel, visit www.navy.mil/local/cnp/.